Flower Boy
by No1fan15
Summary: It's been ten years since Team Galactic was defeated. It's been ten years since Casey Seedling was promised a Pokémon He isn't about to let their second attempt at a takeover stop him from his journey.


_A baby was once born among the flower fields. They grew up surrounded by color and light. However no matter how hard they tried their own light never shone through, their true colors unknown to all._

_One day they at last discovered why. They were not who they were supposed to be. They stayed in their hometown well past when others had left on their Pokémon journeys. They grew and changed until they could finally say for sure they were true to themselves. This is where our story starts. At the end of one chapter of their life and at the start of the next._

**Floaroma Town, Sinnoh**

"Are you sure you're ready for this?"

"I'm sure mom. I don't think I could be any more ready." Casey said with a smile. His mother returned the expression with a worried tint.

"Look at me. Anxious about you finally living your dream when I've had all this time to prepare." she said. She picked up a vase from the counter and started fiddling with the flowers within. "I'll have to make the most out of this week."

"It's not like I'm going to be gone forever." Casey pointed out. He flipped through the pockets of his new backpack. There was a large pile of Pokémon related items on the table. From potions to Pokèballs and small jars of honey there was enough for a very well stocked trip. Casey picked up a small plush Budew and held it for a moment before packing it away in the top pocket.

"We're so proud of you. Everyone in town." said his mother. Casey turned to her and walked over for a hug.

"I know mom. I can't thank you enough." he said quietly.

"Alright sweetie. Let's save the waterworks for your party." said his mother with a sniffle. She released Casey from the hug and patted his back gently. "My big beautiful boy. Twenty years flew by so fast."

"I have some things to pick up from Mr. Baro at the Valley Windworks. I'll see you later, okay?" Casey said. He almost had to hold back tears of his own. Leaving home, however much he was excited to do so, was still such a big thing. He could hardly believe it. Alas he would never get to go on his Pokémon journey if he stayed put. It was ten years overdue after all. With that he gave a wave to his mother and swung his back over his shoulder as he stepped out the door.

Immediately the sweet scent of flowers drifted over to him. It was the usual in his hometown. He still smiled at it. Then he began his walk. It didn't take long to arrive at Route 205. Casey's grin stayed on his face fueled by the soft cries of distant Starly and the babbling of the river. He couldn't wait to cross the bridge at the end of the week and discover what laid beyond it. Maybe he'd meet one of the Starly who's song he heard every morning.

He stepped inside the Valley Windworks building and the smell of grass and water was replaced with sterile metallic air. A hint of static ran through it, a testament to the windmills that powered it, and raised the hair on Casey's arms. He'd never been too fond of the machines living there even if they were essential to his life. If anything it increases the urge to leave on his quest as soon as possible.

"Hi Casey!" shouted a young girl. She ran down the hall towards him.

"Good morning Hannah." Casey said. The girl stopped in front of him and smiled.

"Papa said you'd be coming today. Did you bring us anything?" she asked.

"Now now Hannah, Casey's a guest. He doesn't owe us anything." said a man that followed closely behind the girl. "He's here to pick something up from me."

"Awww…." Hannah pouted. Casey gave her his best encouraging look.

"There's gonna be lot of treats at my birthday party. You can grab something then." he said. Hannah seemed to cheer up a little as her father stepped forward.

"Here you are, Casey." he said as he handed over a small package. "A few technological gifts from us to you. I thought it best for you to have them before your party so you can learn how they work."

"Thank you Mr. Baro." Casey said as he took the package.

"No need to thank me my boy. It's simply a way to return all the help you've given us over the years." Mr. Baro said with a dismissive hand wave. "It contains an experience share, a good rod for fishing, a Pokè Radar, and…."

"And?" Casey said weakly. He was already start to feel bad taking this much. Mr. Baro reached behind him to a nearby cabinet and pulled out what looked to be a folded pile of metal.

"The newest in portable bike technology!" he proclaimed proudly. "It'll be much easier than lugging your old one around everywhere."

"Wow… I don't know what to say." Casey said as he took the bike. "Thank you."

"Have nary a worry, young man. It's the least we can do." Mr. Baro said.

"See you at the party!" Hannah chimed in.

"Yeah, see you there!" Casey said. With a few more words of gratitude he headed back home.

It didn't take long to pack his new gifts into his bag. The bike strapped right to the bottom of it and everything else fit perfectly. He'd been collecting items for this adventure since he was a kid and the community in Floaroma was generous. Pockets were stuffed with evolutionary stones and the technical machines he'd received annually as birthday gifts. There was even a fossil. A gift from his grandparents in Oreburgh. As he gently traced its curves with his fingers he made a mental note to visit them when he could and revive the Pokémon hidden within the stone. The rest of his day was spent doing chores around the house and the town as usual. Even with his birthday coming at the end of the week it didn't mean he could slack off from his chores.

By the time evening rolled around he'd finished all his tasks. With nothing left to do he stood in the garden and gazed up at the clouds. They had turned a Steelix grey and he could smell the rain in the air. He'd been thinking earlier of swinging by the meadow to pick up some extra honey. Even with the prospect of getting wet he wasn't much deterred. He'd face worse on his journey after all. With that in mind he tossed on a raincoat and let his whim carry him over to the meadow on his new bike. A light shower had begun when he arrived and when he'd paid for his honey it had turned into a steady downpour.

"I see someone learned Rain Dance." Casey said to himself as he walked his bike through the mud. It would be easier to ride it once he got back to the stone path into town. A flash of lightning illuminated the field. Something in the corner of his eye caught Casey's attention. There was a figure covered in a black hooded coat crouched among the flowers a few hundred feet away. The wind whipped at the edges of their clothes and their face was shrouded.

"Hey, are you alright?" Casey called out as he laid his bike down and began to walk over. The figure jolted upright at the sound and sprinted away through the meadow. Casey ran over to where they'd been standing. "Hey, come back! It's okay, I'm not gonna –"

A second bolt of lightning lit up the grass once more. What had previously looked like a lump on the ground was now recognizable. Casey had stopped mid sentence in shock at the sight of it.

"….hurt… you… oh my Arceus…" he finished. Any other reassurances for the stranger were replaced with a sick feeling rising in his stomach. Laying before him soaked with rain and deathly still was a Pokémon. Yellow, white, and brown fur slicked back revealing a frail and skinny frame. Small nubby horns peeking out from the head and equally tiny spikes just starting to grow along the back. A bulb ended tail that Casey knew was more than it seemed.

A Girafarig.

And a baby one at that, likely recently hatched. It was small, nowhere near the close to five foot height of an adult. Maybe four feet standing if it somehow was on its feet.

"Who did this to you?" Casey murmured. He dropped to his knees beside the creature and gently ran a hand over its cold nose. As his fingers brushed past the nostrils he felt it. The faintest hint of warmth. The sick feeling got worse and he placed his head to the Pokèmon's side. Though slower than a Slakoth its sides were rising and he could hear the quietest of thumps as its heart somehow beat on. It was alive.

"Pokémon center. Now." Casey muttered. As if he needed to tell himself at all. He stripped off his raincoat and barely flinched at the sudden wetness. He carefully wrapped it around the Girafarig's body and lifted it. He was suddenly very glad for his life of lifting heavy bags of soil and flowerpots. While still an infant and a skinny one at that the Pokèmon felt like it was at least half of its grown up 91 pound weight. Despite the strain Casey lifted until he had a good grip on it. Then he opted to drape it across his shoulders. With one hand on its neck to steady it he made his way to where he'd left his bike. He managed to get it upright and with one hand on the handlebars kicked off.

The mud was thick and there was an excess of puddles in his path. Still he carried on. He wasn't about to let a Pokèmon die while he could help it. Before long his legs began to ache and his lungs burned. Pushing his was through the muck was just as tough as he'd expected. He blinked some water out of his eyes and carried on. A bump underneath his tires made it clear he'd finally arrived on the stone path. With renewed energy he rode faster. With a proper road below him it didn't take much longer to arrive at the Pokémon center.

"I need help!" Casey shouted as his bike skidded past the automatic doors. The Nurse Joy on duty looked on in shock as a mud covered and drenched Casey stumbled off his bike and over to the front desk. She raised a slightly shaky finger at the raincoat covered Pokèmon he was carrying.

"What-"

"Found it. Meadow. Alive. Baby. Help." Casey gasped. He barely had time to catch his breath before Nurse Joy finished processing the situation and jumped into action. She pressed the intercom button and began barking orders.

"Nurses Adora and Delight stretcher to the front, stat. Chanseys Rose and Cupcake ready your heal pulses. Nurse Freya grab the towels. All available staff to emergency. Standby for more instructions." The words had barely left her lips before two nurses burst in with a stretcher between them. Casey helped them place the Girafarig on it and removed his raincoat. They whisked the Pokémon into a nearby room. Casey felt his heart swing along with the doors behind them. He'd done all he could, right? Now came the waiting.

"Is that Casey under all that mud?" asked the Nurse at the desk. Casey looked sheepishly at the mess he'd dragged across the center floor.

"Hey, Joy." he mumbled.

"Don't worry about all that. We can clean it." she assured him. She glanced towards the dimly glowing "in use" sign above the surgery doors. "…. Is it yours?"

"No. I found it in the meadow. I'm not getting mine until the end of the week." Casey said.

"I see. Thank you for bringing it in." Joy said.

"Of course." Casey said. He remembered how he'd located the Girafarig and felt his fist clench. "There'd been someone standing over it. I couldn't see their face or anything but…. That has to be who left it there. Who did that to it."

"Would you like me to contact Officer Jenny?" Joy offered. "They couldn't have gotten far in this storm."

"I wouldn't be able to give her much information… but yes." Casey said. He looked down at himself as he dripped onto the tiles. "…. May I go home to clean myself up first?"

"Of course. You can also use our facilities here." Joy said. She smiled warmly. "I can call your mother for you as well if you want."

"…. Please do." Casey said with a sigh. Part of him wanted to stay strong alone. That was the part ready to leave and handle things himself. The rest of him was screaming for the comfort of his mom. After a nod from Nurse Joy he started squelching his way to the shower room.

He caught glimpses of other trainers sitting around the center but paid them no mind. After a hot shower to drive the chill from his bones and tossing his clothes in the laundry he put on the center provided bathrobe and sat in the lobby. The normally calming patter of rain against the glass did nothing for his nerves. He fidgeted with his hands as thoughts turned over in his mind. If he couldn't save this Pokèmon how could he save his own? Would such a young life be cut short because of human cruelty? Was it somehow his fault? How long would he be waiting for answers? All of this and more clouded his brain as the storm continued on. The ding of the center doors seemed faint to his ears.

"Mrs. Seedling, good to see you."

Nurse Joy's greeting made Casey's head snap up. His mother stood just inside the doorway with an umbrella in one hand and a bag in the other. Just the sight of her was enough to make all the stress of the last hour rapidly catch up to him.

"Mom…" his voice caught in his throat as tears started to well in his eyes. He stood up and was soon wrapped in a hug.

"I'm here, Casey. It's okay." she said quietly as she stroked his hair. He sniffled into her shoulder for a minute more before sitting back on the bench. She joined him and kept an arm around his shoulders. "You wanna tell me what happened?"

"I was getting more honey. When I started coming home I saw someone in the meadow. I thought they might need help so I walked over and…." Casey started to explain. He took a deep shuddering breath as he tried to continue. "And it was lying there. Just a baby. It was so small. So still… I thought it was dead, mom."

"But it wasn't." his mom said. She rubbed his back gently as he hiccuped through another sob.

"It wasn't. But it was so cold and wet…. It was barely breathing. I….I put my coat on it and carried it here." he said.

"And now it's getting the help it needs. You did the right thing." his mom said. "I'm so proud of you, baby."

"What if…. What if it doesn't make it?" Casey managed.

"If you hadn't saved it then it would have died. You've given it the best chance at surviving. At this point it's up to the doctors and fate." said his mom. She lifted her bag. "Knowing my son, however, you aren't going to leave until you know for sure. That's the kind of person you are. So, I brought your dinner."

"Thanks mom." Casey said. He wiped at his eyes. "And thank you for coming."

"I'll always be here for you." said his mom with a small smile. She held out a small plastic container. "Me and my home cooked meals."

With a small snort of a laugh Casey took the container. It was still going to be hard to wait through the night but having his mother there had already made it so much easier.

When morning broke over Floaroma Town Casey was shocked he'd fallen asleep at all. He changed into his now clean clothes and walked silently past the still snoozing trainers on the lobby benches. When he reached the front desk Nurse Joy gave him a smile and gestured towards a set of doors. Casey stepped through them a bundle of nerves but the grins he got from the staff was a good sign. He eventually arrived at one of the recovery rooms. He was surprised he wasn't all the way in the ICU. One look through the window sated his fears.

The tiny Girafarig he'd carried in the night before was sleeping soundly under a blanket. An IV line attached to its leg was the only indication of its condition. Casey let one of his hands rest against the glass and watched. It was going to be okay.

"She's been asleep for a while now." One of the nurses said as they walked over to him. Casey smiled wider as he looked down at the small Pokèmon.

"A girl? She's adorable." he said. The nurse chuckled and picked up a chart.

"That she is. She's also very young. Maybe a few months."

"Months? She looked like she'd just hatched when I found her." Casey exclaimed.

"I can see why. She's mildly malnourished and dehydrated. She also hasn't had any experience whatsoever in battle. Even newly born Girafarig play with each other in the wild to grow." explained the nurse. He lifted the papers to the next page. "She's still level one."

"Who the hell would do this?" Casey grumbled as he gazed at the dozing Pokèmon.

"That's Officer Jenny's concern. Here we're more concerned with the people in her life now. With no mother or herd to travel her back to we can't release her into the wild. It's likely she was hatched captive in the first place. Most trainers passing through don't want the responsibility of a baby Pokèmon and not many townsfolk have the spare time to give her the attention she needs. Even if she makes a full recovery, which is pretty much certain at this point, we don't have anywhere to send her and we can't have her taking up resources." said the nurse. He sighed heavily and lowered his clipboard. "Maybe Rowan would consider taking her in…."

"I'll do it."

The words came out before Casey could think about them. He hadn't realized it but he'd made his decision the moment he'd found her. He couldn't leave her. The nurse beamed.

"I thought so. May I see your trainer card?" he said. Casey dug through his pockets and pulled out the card. He'd only gotten it the day before from the Professor. He handed it off to the nurse who read the ID numbers on the back. He pulled a small device out of his coat and stuck the card into it. "We already put her in one of our Pokèballs when she was stable. A few button presses and… there! She's registered to your ID. Congratulations." He paused before removing the card. "Would you like to nickname her?"

"…. Yeah." Casey said after a moment of thought. He had a soft look on his face as he looked again at the Girafarig.

"I'd like to name her Begonia."


End file.
